Representative, Non-Profit & Social Impact

Overview

AFSCME Council 13 is the public service union for Pennsylvanians, representing more than 60,000 workers across the Commonwealth. Council 13 members care for the vulnerable and elderly, allow students to focus on learning in schools and universities, run correctional facilities around the clock, maintain safe drinking water, ensure the state’s libraries, museums, roads, parks, and game lands are accessible to the public, and make Pennsylvania run in countless other ways.

Our union organizes for dignity and respect and fights for a real voice on the job for public service workers and the services we provide.

The Staff Representative position has the overall responsibility of building local union capacity and empowering membership through planning, managing, and executing representational programs with locals. This position has the responsibility of carrying out the union’s vision for building strength and achieving growth by organizing existing and new members.

Locals span public and private entities, reflect different job sectors, departments, or agencies, and may have locations spread throughout various facilities in a localized part of the state or larger geographical area.

The Staff Representative role is on the front line of building power among working people for whom public service is a calling. This is a field position with extensive travel and irregular work hours often required.

• Implements the AFSCME Organizing Model, Organizing Principles, and AFSCME Strong tenets into local representational programs.
• Actively promotes Council 13’s vision for building strength and achieving growth to current and potential members and guides their activity as a representative of Council 13.
• Develops and implements strategies to involve union members in activities that build the local union's capacity to represent and mobilize workers effectively.
• In partnership with local leadership, handles all aspects of representation, including arbitrations and grievances; labor management relations; contract negotiations; filing deadlines; and all other representational duties associated with servicing a local.
• Oversees member sign-up and orientation programs, including identifying and developing member leaders and conducting outreach directly as needed.
• Guides and supports member leaders in strategy around contract campaigns, contract negotiations, anti-privatization fights, bargaining unit accretions, sector coordination, and other leading programs of the union.
• In collaboration with local leadership, develops and leads membership direct actions that build solidarity, effect meaningful change, and advance other union goals.
• Maintains regular communication with leaders and members through local union meetings (i.e. general membership and Executive Board), job site visits, one-on-one meetings, and house visits to build member rapport, share victories, make assessments, problem solve, and to move program and support priorities of locals and Council 13.
• Identifies and develops worksite leaders. Trains, assesses, and recommends potential volunteer member organizers from within the AFSCME membership.
• Identifies opportunities in day-to-day servicing activities to increase participation from members and build power in the workplace.
• Monitors, coordinates, and drives program within a specified subset, sector, or agency of AFSCME members and serves as resource person for given area(s) of focus.
• Visits workers at their homes as part of internal/external union organizing or political activities.
• Relays major turf developments and metrics on a regular, timely, and proactive basis using assigned data tools. Tracks progress on campaigns, work plans, and initiatives within turf.
• In coordination with the Council 13 Organizing Department, explores organizing targets to gather data and information, builds worker lists, assesses interest, and conducts meetings with organizing committees and other workers.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Knowledge of labor unions, labor relations, and servicing union members at a professional level.
• Effective one-on-one communications.
• High level of…